Copilot Actions, rolling out

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Copilot Actions has been available through Copilot Studio for some time, and now, a version of this feature is being rolled out within Microsoft 365. This new integration offers a user-friendly way to automate and delegate common tasks. The term "Actions" varies depending on the application. In Copilot Studio, it serves as a flexible tool for agents. By combining Copilot prompts and conversations, triggers (such as file modifications or scheduled reminders), and user-defined rules, Copilot Actions can generate artifacts that streamline workflows. A similar type of action is teased in the "lightweight" version of Copilot Studio within the M365 agent builder (marked as "coming soon"). The version discussed here is a new out-of-the-box functionality, designed to ensure that even users with minimal technical expertise can benefit from its powerful asynchronous capabilities. To utilize Copilot Actions, users must have a Copilot license (priced at $30). The help...

A couple of noteworthy updates on Microsoft Copilot

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Changes to Microsoft Copilot is rolling out with great speed, some are bigger than than others, but sometimes there are minor changes that doesn't really need a separate blog post. Yet many of these changes means a great deal to the end users and how they can use the tool, and we shouldn't forget to mention them. So here are a couple of announced changed and improvements to Microsoft Copilot. 

Uploading images:
Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot users with an Entra account will soon gain the ability to upload images and ask Copilot to analyze or describe them. This feature will be accessible through the Microsoft 365 app, Outlook, and Teams on web, desktop, and mobile platforms. Users can either take pictures with their mobile cameras or upload images directly from their devices. This feature itself, has been around in the public Copilot, but with this update it will now be available to anyone with an Entra account (not just copilot licensed users) and in both "work" and "web" mode. According to the message center, this will start rolling out in late January.

Inline suggestions:
Trying to help user write better prompts, Microsoft is introducing a new prompt auto-suggestion feature. This enhancement will remember useful prompts from Copilot Lab and the user's own prompt history. The feature will be available for Copilot licensed users on Windows desktops, Mac desktops, and the web. According to roadmap item 409962, it is already rolling out.

Name and Icon Change:
Microsoft is changing the name if "Microsoft 365" app to "Microsoft 365 Copilot". This makes a change in how end-users will find themselves using Microsoft Copilot as a starting point for "every" task they have on the web. With this change, users will notice several changes: the top header will be removed, and tools like user profile, settings, and feedback will move to the bottom left toolbar. Apps on the left toolbar will be aligned to the top, and AI-rich experiences like Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Copilot Pages will be grouped together. The organization logo will no longer be visible in the app but will remain in other Microsoft 365 apps. The "Back" button will be removed from the Windows app, but navigation will still be possible via the left AppBar. The "My Day" feature will be removed from the app, but it will still be available in other Microsoft 365 apps. Lastly, the "Help me create" feature will be retired, with AI-powered document creation moving to the Copilot tab.

This last change might require some updates to internal documentation, user-guides and help material as some of the menus are being moved around on the webpage